What's new in Consumer Electronics?

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This week I attended the Consumer Electronics (CE) Line Shows and Exhibits as part of CE Week, which is the consumer electronics industry's official mid-year conference. It gives the media, retailers, and thought leaders from around the country the opportunity to see the latest tech products. After walking the show floor, some trends really popped out at me.

Eye on Design - Aesthetics are becoming more and more prominent in the consumer electronics industry. At the show, I saw tons of gadgets that added flair to speakers, cases, and more. Some products like Myth Labs' headphones can be customized to suit your tastes. Others, like those from Stelle, are meant to look as good as they sound. I definitely had my eye on the Stelle Audio Clutch which has speakers that fold into a portable, clasped case that resembles a fashion-forward clutch purse.

Smart Locks - I saw a host of locks that allow you to enter your home with help from your phone, including the Goji and Kwikset Kevo. An electronic deadbolt, the Goji sets itself apart from the pack by providing picture alerts to your smartphone, so you can physically see who's trying to enter. The Kwiset Kevo uses UniKey's touch-to-open technology, which turns your smartphone into an electronic key to lock or unlock the door when you're within a defined area from your house.

Controlled Lighting - On display were various products that let you control the lighting environment in your home through your phone. Like the Philips Hue, LIFX allows you to turn on, off, or change the color illumination of your LED, Wi-Fi connected lightbulbs through your smartphone. Lumenplay offers string lighting that lets you create flashing light shows, syncs to the beat of your music, and features a random color picker for games.

Content Sharing - Harnessing the power of the cloud, companies are able to provide you with products that can seamlessly link all of your devices and content. Regardless of where your music, movies, files, pictures, etc. live, you should be able to engage with them on any device you want (phone, tablet, TV, etc.). Sookbox claims to work with any electronic gadget on any platform, so you can control your content and sync all of your electronics with just one item. Another novel product is the ultra-portable PLair, which plugs into your TV's HDMI port and lets you stream anything from your smartphone or tablet to your TV.

Keep Track of What Matters - Left your briefcase behind in your last meeting? Misplaced your phone? A host of new electronic gadgets can help you tag your precious carry-arounds, including iFi Smart Tag and Nio. Think of iFi Smart Tag as a digital leash; attach the Bluetooth device to your valuables, and it'll alert you when you're about to leave them behind. It's linked to your smartphone, so when the two are separated by over 30 feet they'll both sound an alarm. If you wind up leaving your stuff somewhere, Smart Tag will email you its exact location via Google Maps. With the Nio System, you clip the tag onto let's say your camera and connect the Nio Tag to your mobile via Bluetooth. If your camera and your phone aren't within a certain distance of each other, they'll both let you know loud and clear.

Health and Fitness Bonanza - From what I saw this week, technology is changing the way you'll be able to consume health and wellness data like never before. On display was everything from tools to help you eat healthily to ones that let you monitor your sleep patterns. The Beddit is a sleep and wellness tracker that unlike ones we've reviewed before doesn't require you to wear anything. You simply place the thin sensor under your sheet, and Beddit monitor is how you sleep and issues suggestions on how to get a better night's rest. Healthy Out, a novel app asks you to enter in your dietary preferences and then creates a healthy menu of dishes from local restaurants that can be delivered to your home or office. You pay for the monthly service and the cost of the meals, but Healthy Out does everything else.

Wearable Tech - While new gadgets can be very helpful, sometimes you don't want to carry so many devices around. With wearable tech, these cool electronic "toys" become new fashion accessories. When you think about listening to music sans headphones, you picture a set of speakers. But what if there was a way for you to hear your music solo without any headphones? The Cynaps, a new product from Max Virtual, does just that - it's a headset installed into a hat that uses vibration to conduct sound waves from your phone or computer directly into your inner ear. The controls are built into the brim of the cap, and the technology doesn't block outside noises, making it ideal for runners or cyclists. If you're looking for a watch that will do more than just tell time, WearIT delivers. It has a slew of extra features for your active lifestyle, including a GPS tracker, heart rate monitor, and even a photo gallery. WearIT runs on Android and allows you to download lots of apps, so you can customize what your watch can do.

Monitoring Devices - What happens when you combine health and fitness with wearable tech? You get a tremendous resource for a happier, healthier you! Basis is a watch-style health tracker with an online personal dashboard, for tracking your fitness and sleep habits. Then there's the Withings suite of products and apps that help you track your activity, heart rate, sleeping patterns, and more. Qardio has a cardiovascular monitoring system that has various wearable solutions - including the QardioArm and QardioCore. They let you track your progress (blood pressure, EKG monitoring, heart rate, skin temp, physical activity, and more) and feed that data to your doctor (and /or loved ones if you choose), so you're not relying on a single reading at your doctor's.

This year's CE Week showcased some really cool, innovative products that eventually will leave us wondering how we ever lived without them. I can't wait to try them all out and report back to you.